More applicants are declining offers from Bristol because they 'have more choice', says University

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The rise in declined Bristol offers is because applicants have more to choose from, the University has said following an investigation by Epigram that found a 7 per cent increase in rejected offers.

Kerry O'Shea, Head of Admissions at the University of Bristol, said: 'The fact that university applicants are now increasingly likely to receive five offers contributes towards the increased proportion of declined offers being seen across the sector: applicants have more choice yet can only make one firm and one insurance choice. UCAS data shows that this is a national trend, reflecting changes to the application process'.

Epigram's investigation also found that, whilst the number of applications to the University has remained much the same - 40,817 in 2011/12 and 43,155 in 2017/18 - the number of offers has significantly increased from 14,245 for the 2011/12 academic year to 28,863 for the 2017/18 academic year.

Ms O'Shea further said: 'The increased number of offers being made reflects the growth of the university, among other things. Application numbers have remained largely the same but planned growth means making more offers from that applicant pool.

'Many factors are at play, including growth plans at other universities and a decline in the student-age population which is expected to last until 2021.'

She added: 'We continuously monitor accept and decline rates in the context of the current climate and demographic, while also looking at applicants’ reasons for making their choices.'

In 2014, the government lifted the cap on student numbers which allowed universities to offer as many places as they deemed fit. Since then, more students have been attending Higher Education institutions.

In 2017, however, UCAS reported a 5 per cent decrease in UK students attending university, and a 7 per cent decrease in EU students.